Chapter 49

Both Sister Wang and Lu Xiao were taken aback. Snow Skin and Vitality are recognized as top brands with the best terms, while Smart Core and Royal are also good, but their influence is relatively weaker.

"Teacher Zhuohua, what about Xueji and Yuanqi Manman over there..." Sister Wang couldn't help but remind her.

Zhuohua raised her eyes, her gaze clear and cold as a deep pool: "The core ingredient extraction process of the new 'Snow White' series has serious defects and insufficient stability. Long-term use may accelerate skin aging." She paused, then tapped the bottle of "Full of Vitality" with her fingertip. "The sweetener in the new 'Full of Vitality' formula is of impure origin and contains trace amounts of industrial synthetic residues. Although not fatal, long-term accumulation may place a potential burden on the liver and kidneys."

Her voice wasn't loud, but it exploded like thunder in Wang Jie and Lu Xiao's ears!

Sister Wang stared in disbelief, her mouth agape, wide enough to fit an egg. This…how could this be? Snow White and Vitality are both top-tier brands that undergo rigorous quality control! How did her celebrity know? Holy crap…from the pictures??

Lu Xiao was also deeply shaken, but he instantly believed Zhuo Hua's words. His immortal lord could even purify vengeful ghosts with ease, and seeing through the flaws of several mortal products seemed... not impossible? Looking at Zhuo Hua's calm and composed face, a huge warm current and a sense of security surged in his heart—she was not only powerful, but also so meticulous in protecting him, even mitigating the risks of business cooperation for him!

"Ah... this... I see..." Sister Wang stammered, her worldview greatly shaken, but seeing Zhuohua's unquestionable gaze, she immediately chose to trust him unconditionally. "I understand! I'll go and politely decline Xueji and Yuanqi Manman right away, and focus on following up on Zhixin and Yupin!" She walked away with the documents in her arms, her steps a little unsteady, her mind still frantically processing the information she had just received.

Lu Xiao watched Wang Li leave before approaching Zhuo Hua, his eyes sparkling with admiration and undisguised love: "Hua Hua, how are you so amazing! You even noticed this?" He felt a surge of happiness at being protected and cherished.

Zhuohua glanced at him indifferently, the copper coin between her fingers starting to spin again: "Common sense." Her tone was matter-of-fact.

Lu Xiao: "..." Well, the scope of common sense of immortals is indeed different from that of mortals.

After a day of filming, I returned to my hotel suite. The city lights were just coming on outside the window, shutting out the city's hustle and bustle.

Lu Xiao was taking a shower in the bathroom, the sound of rushing water filling the air. Zhuo Hua stood alone by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the city lights below, which shimmered like a galaxy of stars. Her mind, however, sank into the deepest recesses of her consciousness.

There, the space that had become desolate, cramped, and cracked after the war between gods and demons exhausted its divine power and brought it to the present world, is now quietly changing.

The area of ​​space has clearly expanded! The once desolate and gray boundary has now expanded outwards considerably, with a faint, nascent silver-white halo surrounding the edges, full of vitality.

The stability of the space has also been greatly enhanced. Although those shockingly huge cracks have not completely disappeared, their edges have become rounded and there is no longer any sign of them collapsing at any time. Deep inside the cracks, one can even see strands of new divine power slowly flowing and repairing.

What stirred her heart even more was that at the core of the space, the slowly pulsating ball of light, representing the source of divine power, was several times brighter than before! Although it was still faint, far less than one-billionth of its peak strength, the clearly perceptible recovery was like a long-awaited rain after a drought!

She clearly sensed that during this period, whether it was casually purifying the vengeful spirits of Lin Yang's villa or sensing certain faint signs of injustice in the corners of the city during breaks from filming (she would occasionally send out a wisp of her divine sense to dispel them without making a sound), these seemingly small actions were like trickles of water, continuously flowing into her dried-up sea of ​​divine power.

Especially the incident at Lin Yang's villa, the negative energy contained in that core resentment was quite considerable, and the pure divine power transformed after purification was even more remarkable.

Now, upon closer inspection, she realized that her total divine power had quietly recovered to... five percent!

Five percent!

Zhuohua silently curled the corners of her mouth. Not bad, not bad. Blue light danced at her fingertips. Her divine power recovered quite quickly.

A faint, yet real, smile, like the first ripple on a thawing lake in early spring, spread across Zhuo Hua's cool lips. Even her icy eyes finally caught a glimmer of joy.

Congratulations!

The sound of water in the bathroom stopped. Lu Xiao walked out, drying his wet hair. He was only wearing simple pajama pants, his upper body still damp, his muscles smooth and full of youthful power.

He immediately spotted Zhuohua standing by the window. She seemed to be surrounded by an extremely soft and reassuring light, and her aura was more composed and reserved than usual, as if she had shed an invisible shackle.

"Hua Hua?" Lu Xiao walked over with some confusion. "What's wrong? What are you looking at so intently?"

Zhuohua turned around at the sound. The lamplight outside the window cast a halo behind her, highlighting her beautiful features. She didn't explain the changes in her spiritual space, but simply looked at the young man before her, who exuded a refreshing aura and had clean, warm eyes.

She suddenly reached out, without using any divine power, simply like an ordinary lover, and gently stroked his warm, dewy cheek. The touch from her fingertips felt real and vivid.

"Lu Xiao." She spoke, her voice softer than usual, carrying a strange, reassuring power.

"Hmm?" Lu Xiao's heart raced at her sudden gentle touch. He subconsciously grasped her hand that was covering his face and looked at her intently.

Zhuohua gazed into his clear eyes, where her own reflection was clearly seen. Deep within the divine bones, frozen for hundreds of thousands of years, melted snow flowed gently, carrying the vitality and warmth of revival. She leaned slightly forward, and under his gaze, which widened slightly in surprise, gently pressed her forehead against his.

The two could hear each other's breaths.

"It's nothing." Her voice was soft, with a hint of satisfied sigh. "I just feel... it's good to be alive."

Being alive means being able to feel the warmth of the sun, taste the flavor of food, hear the heartbeat of a loved one, strive for a goal, and protect those you want to protect... This ordinary yet warm and idyllic human world is far more cherished by her than the cold, lonely realm of gods where only eternal battles take place.

Although Lu Xiao didn't understand why she suddenly had such a sentiment, he was touched by her initiative in being affectionate and her words "It's good to be alive," and his heart was instantly filled with a huge current of warmth and happiness. He tightened his arms and pulled her into his embrace, gently resting his chin on the top of her head, smelling the cool fragrance in her hair, and said in a deep and firm voice: "Yes, living, with you, is the best."

The city lights outside the window still shone brightly. Inside the suite, under the warm light, the two figures, embracing, cast long, overlapping shadows on the polished floor. The ice within their bones melted rapidly, and the warm blood of humanity surged joyfully; the war god's heart, dormant for too long, began to beat powerfully and vividly.

In early winter at the film and television base, the cold wind carried the dry smell of dust, stinging one's cheeks. Although the huge soundstage was heated, it was still difficult to ward off the chill that seeped in from the corners. Extras, wrapped in thick down jackets, waited in the corners, while staff members moved back and forth, their breath condensing into white mist in the air.

The filming of "Dark Night Lantern" has entered a crucial climax.

Today's shoot is a pivotal scene: the verbal and psychological battle between Master Qingwei (played by Zhuohua) and the second male lead—Liu Wenxuan (played by Zhao Ce), a seemingly refined but actually cunning young master from a prestigious family—in the morgue regarding a bizarre murder case. This scene demands exceptional acting skills, particularly in delivering lines and conveying nuanced emotions through the eyes.

Zhuohua had already changed into her signature indigo Taoist robe and was sitting in her personal folding chair, closing her eyes to rest. Her makeup and hair were impeccable, and even on the somewhat messy film set, she seemed to possess an aura that isolated her from the hustle and bustle of the world.

Lu Xiao, who plays Mo Yan, has a slightly later scene today. He is currently wrapped in a long down jacket, sitting on a small stool next to her, holding a script in his hands, muttering to himself, and occasionally rubbing his hands, which are a little red from the cold.

"Brother Xiao!" Assistant Xiao Chen came running over, panting, carrying a huge insulated box, his face beaming with joy. "Everything has arrived!"

Hearing the voice, Lu Xiao looked up, his eyes lighting up. He immediately put down his script and stood up: "Thank you for your hard work, Xiao Chen!" He took the insulated box; it was heavy. He opened the lid, and a rich, sweet aroma of milk tea instantly wafted out, dispelling the chill in the air.

"Come on, everyone, you've all worked hard!" Lu Xiao raised his voice, a sincere yet slightly embarrassed smile on his face, as he greeted the nearby staff and extras waiting in the wings. "It's cold outside, so I'll treat you all to a cup of hot milk tea to warm you up! It's just a small token of my appreciation, please don't mind!"

As he spoke, he and Xiao Chen began distributing the tea. Cups of piping hot milk tea were handed to the staff and extras who were shivering from the cold.

"Oh! Thank you, Brother Xiao!"

"Brother Xiao, you're too kind! Thank you so much!"

"On this freezing day, a hot milk tea is just what I need! Brother Xiao, you've gone to all the trouble!"

"Thank you, Teacher Lu!"

Exclamations of surprise and gratitude filled the air. Those who received their milk tea beamed with genuine smiles, their stiff, cold fingers coming back to life as they held the warm cups. The atmosphere on set brightened considerably thanks to this unexpected warmth. Several younger extras sipped their tea happily, their faces radiating pure joy.

Seeing everyone so happy warmed Lu Xiao's heart. Although he had saved up a little money after "The Long Song" became a hit, treating the entire crew of dozens of people to milk tea from a well-known chain store was still a considerable expense for him. But he felt it was worth it.

He remembered how, when he was just an extra, a cup of hot water in the dead of winter was a tremendous comfort. Now that he had the ability, he wanted to pass on that warmth. More importantly… he secretly glanced at Zhuohua beside him.